A popular feature of toys, and in particular, flying toys, is the provision for release or ejection of an object from the toy during operation thereof. In the case of toys, it is known to employ centrifugal force responsive release mechanisms. An example of such devices is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,051,151, issued to J. K. Northrop, wherein a spring loaded hinged cover is locked by means of a hinged arm which is maintained in a locking position by centrifugal force. However, such prior art devices suffer from a number of limitations. Of primary importance is the fact that such devices must be used with specially designed launchers which hold the locking arm in the locked position until sufficient rotation of the toy is attained. As a consequence, mounting of the toy on the laucher is complicated. Of equal, if not greater, importance is the fact that such prior art devices do not include toy-mounted means for maintaining the locking arm in a locked position prior to rotation of the toy. Nor is there any provision for ensuring that the locking arm remains locked should the toy prematurely disengage from the launcher before sufficient rotation is imparted thereto to maintain the locked position by action of centrifugal force.
These and other disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the improved toy constructed according to the present invention, which comprises locking means for retaining an object within a receptacle for the object in a first locked position, and centrifugal force responsive means for releasing the object from the first locked position in response to a first level of centrifugal force and maintaining the object in a second locked position until the level of centrifugal force acting on the centrifugal force responsive means diminishes to a second level of centrifugal force. In a preferred embodiment, the locking means may comprise a lip formed in the object, an opposing lip formed in the object receptacle, and spring means for urging the object lip against the receptacle lip. The centrifugal force responsive means may comprise a plurality of spaced lever arms disposed about the circumference of the object receptacle and pivotably mounted such that one portion of each lever arm swings outwardly about its pivot point in response to centrifugal force, thereby causing the other portion to swing inwardly into the receptacle. The inwardly swinging portions of the lever arms are constructed and arranged such that when the lever arms respond to centrifugal force the inward end of at least one of the inwardly swinging lever arm portions acts against to object to disengage the object lip from the object receptacle lip, the inwardly swinging lever arm portions act to center the object within the receptacle in the second locked position, and the inwardly swinging portions of the lever arms coact with the object lip to effectuate locking of the object within the receptacle in the second locked position.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the base of the object may be constructed and arranged so as to receive the spring (preferably a helical spring) such that the spring is prevented from disengaging from the base when the object is released from the first locked position. The object base may define an annular recess and be provided with a centrally disposed conical projection for guiding the spring end into the recess. Additionally, the inward ends of the inwardly swinging portions of the lever arms may be configured so as to conform to the external shape of the object, the outwadly swinging portions of the lever arms may be weighted, the spring means may be unsupported over a substantial portion of its length, and the object receptacle may be provided with a plurality of spaced ribs projecting thereinto for guiding the object into alignment with the spring means. Further,the object lip may be provided with a ring of elastomeric material so configured and arranged that the receptacle lip abuts thereagainst when the object lip and receptacle lip are urged together by the spring means. The receptacle may also be sectioned into first and second sections joined together end to end with the lever arms arms being mounted on stub shafts rotatably mounted in recesses formed in the surface of at least one portion of the receptacle section ends that are joined together. The receptacle sections may also be joined together by complementary fastening means, including a detent-like arrangement.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in, or apparent from, the detailed description of a preferred embodiment found hereinbelow.